Set Fire to the Rain
by JenaMiyu
Summary: **DISCONTINUED** ... until further notice ;) ... A story of angst, fate, love, passion & sorrow. When love overcomes the pain, and the fate of their young lives are filled with sorrow. When passion and angst are nothing less than inevitable. Their worlds collide.
1. Author's Disclaimer

**_"Author's Disclaimer"_**

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><p><em>Set Fire to the Rain<em>

Hello everyone! :)

Well I am overly excited to be writing this story about one of my absolute favorite anime, Naruto. It has been a good while seen I have written a fanfic, and this is my first fanfic that I am writing about Naruto. I truly hope that you all will appreciate my story as much as I will enjoy writing it for you. This really is something that I have for awhile wanted to express in my own unique way while still remaining true to the manga. Just as a disclaimer, I, of course, do not own Naruto or anything surrounding and/or about the series itself. And as a precaution, I would like to express that though I try to remain as accurate and close to the relevance of the original manga as possible, some very VERY minor details are tweaked just for the purpose of the story, and I am sure it will be nothing upsetting to you, my audience. However, if anything does concern you, whether there may be slight spelling mistakes, grammar problems or if you have any constructive criticism, please do not hesitate to leave a review to me and I may or may not edit it as soon as possible. Also, do not ignore to leave a pleasant comment if you enjoy the story as well. It's always so hard for me to write the first few chapters of my stories, and I am really diligent in updating my chapters, but my hope is that you will all enjoy it enough to want me to continue, and you can all show that by leaving me many reviews! Now enough of my blabbering, and go ahead and enjoy my story. Arigatou!

JenaMiyu :)


	2. Chapter 1

**_JenaMiyu_**

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><p><strong><em><em>**_"You said that if you could flap your wings ..._

_You would never come back down ..._

_You always aimed for that blue, blue sky"_

_**Ikimono Gakari - "Blue Bird"**_

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><p><em><strong>Arc One: "Aoi ano Sora" <strong>(Blue Sky)  
><em>

_**"To Overcome Devastation"**_

_The sounds of a storm began to cry out in the Village Hidden in the Grass. The devastation of war has ravaged the innocent lands of the Shinobi world. It was here within the grassy plains of Kusagakure that would serve as an important front for the victory of this war as it did for the Third Shinobi World War. The village itself had long been evacuated of the people that resided there. An almighty stand off could be seen between two beasts battling against one another that formed the epicenter of the Fourth Shinobi World War. The grass valley of the Kusagakure were scotched with the flames of fire. As the heavy rains pouring out of the dark clouds above tried to subdue the flames, there within the circle of fire were two beasts that fought, each holding their own fate of the Shinobi world within their hands. Through the eyes of the pink-haired kunoichi that quivered, formed tears at the corners of her green eyes. She fell to her knees injured and bruised from the overextending fight to protect her land from an inevitable fate. The sorrow and fright that were evident through her eyes looked upon the two: Uchiha Madara, who's ultimate plan of total world domination and conquer, has caused nothing less of devastation and destruction throughout the Shinobi world. He stood clothed in his torn and bleedy Akatsuki cloak and half-broken face mask baring the eyes of the Sharingan. His right side and arm bleeding profusely from the attack given by the Uzumaki Naruto, whom was now transforming into the Kyuubi._

_Haruno Sakura trembled in fear and pain, witnessing once again the horrible transformation of her beloved friend. Four out of the nine tails had finally appeared, and the skeletal makeup of the Kyuubi was beginning to take form. _

_'Naruto …,' Sakura cried to herself as she watched the horror of her friend being consumed by the Kyuubi's power, "Naruto!"_

_Sai began to sit up slowly, coughing up a little blood from his earlier wounds. Yamato rushed to Sai's aid at that moment seeing that he had finally regained consciousness, "Are you alright, Sai?" Yamato asked, assisting him._

"_Yes, I'm fine," Sai replied, a bit weakened from attacking Uchiha Madara not too long along in order to help Naruto._

_Sakura continued to stare down at the beasts before her. The team watched from above the crater of the grass valley, horrified and scared of what will come if the Kyuubi continued to overcome Naruto. Yamato looked upon Sakura's trembling body in worry and watched as she wrapped her arms around herself, clenching her shoulders and crying uncontrollably._

"_Sakura ..."_

"_Is there nothing ..." Sakura faintly spoke in a choked up voice as her vision blurred from her tears, "Is there nothing we can do to help him, Yamato-taichou?"_

_Yamato turned his eyes towards the Kyuubi and Madara below them, "Due to the First Hokage's necklace being destroyed during the Pain invasion, there is nothing I, myself, can do for Naruto to turn him back." Sakura gasped as she grit her teeth and trembled in pain as she clutched her dislocated left shoulder._

_Sakura bowed her head in defeat, feeling helpless and pained. The ever present sorrow of losing her friend to the power of the Kyuubi once again became overwhelming._

_'Naruto …'_

_The Kyuubi's skeletal makeup was now completely formed. Slowly the fifth tail began to show itself. Uchiha Madara fell to his knees, clutching onto his right side. However, he was not yet defeated. He held an evil grin behind his broken mask. His menacing laugh became audible to the three Shinobi looking down into the crater …_

"_S-something is wrong …," Sai spoke as his own eyes watched in horror. Yamato looked harder at Madara and gasped realizing his true intent._

_'Oh no … He's …,' Yamato exclaimed within himself._

_Sakura turned to the both of them with worry, and then turned back to Madara below. It appeared that a vortex originating from Madara's right eye began to manifest itself, pulling the Kyuubi in. Yamato took note of this has he watched in suspense as the jutsu that the enemy was using also seemed to be bringing out the Kyuubi's full power._

"_Madara is drawing out the Kyuubi's power and forcing it into his right eye using the Space-Time Migration jutsu!"_

_Both Sai and Sakura gasped in suspense as Madara's jutsu slowly drew in the Kyuubi. The defeat was overwhelming Sakura. Watching her dear friend being sucked into another dimension was unbearable …_

_'Naruto …'_

_What had she been training for? What had she accomplished all this time? What could she do when all she felt was weakness?_

_'Naruto …'_

_Sakura began to stand on her feet and race forward towards Naruto's transformed body, whilst forcing her own body to run. Yamato cried out to Sakura, trying to make her stop._

"_Sakura, no wait. Down go near him!" Yamato made seals with his hands to begin his Wood Release jutsu in order to stop Sakura, "Sai!"_

"_I know!" Sai himself began running after Sakura while he initiated his Super Beast Imitating Drawing jutsu, "Sakura, stop!"_

_Sakura kept running, forcing her body to reach Naruto's. The Kyuubi turned his gaze over to the pink-haired kunoichi that was running towards him as he cried out with a loud roar like a beast ready to attack. His tails thrashing in all directions as Madara drew out the power of the Kyuubi more and more. Sakura stretched out her uninjured arm in a desperate attempt to save her friend …_

"_Narutoooo!"_

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><p>The blonde-haired teen sat up from his bed, clenching his shirtless chest and gasping for air. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and whiskered cheeks as his brilliant blue eyes gleamed with fear. Naruto slowed his breathing and rapidly beating heart as he realized he was waking up from a dream. As much as he would have hoped that it was, the events of three years ago were all too real to him. The horror of the Fourth Shinobi World War lingered forever in Naruto's mind. Although the village of Konoha, nor the other villages and lands that helped against the total rule of Uchiha Madara, were safe from total destruction, it was not a complete win for the Allied Shinobi Forces. Madara was still out there in hiding, still plotting his next move in order to bring his own evil plans into effect.<p>

Naruto sat up in his bed holding his face in his hands while his elbows rested on his knees. He removed his left hand from his face and stared down at his empty palm as his right hand subconsciously gripped a different necklace that he now wore around his neck. His deep blue eyes held the signs of another sleepless night. The clock on this nightstand read 11:43 in the late morning. Naruto turned his gaze to his window on his left side gazing up at the clear blue sky and beaming high-noon sun. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, stretching out his arms above his head looking sleepy and worn out from the past few months of on and off missions. Looking down at the peaceful village from his window, Naruto could not help but smile softly to himself feeling proud of his village and of the people who have overcome the devastation of invasion and war. Over the past three years, the village was finally rebuilt and stable once again, finally reaching its former glory that was the proud Shinobi village of the Land of Fire. He was happy that his village was once again back to normal … at least for now it was.

After awhile of deep thought, Naruto withdrew himself from his bed and walked over to his bathroom. Pushing back the shower curtain, he turned the faucet of his shower on, and leaned over the sink looking at himself in the mirror. His blonde hair was a bit shaggy and fell slightly over his blue eyes. Uzumaki Naruto, now nineteen years of age, appeared, of course, older and seemed wiser with the lingering expression of seriousness from time to time. His state of mind, although still his surprising and youthful self, seemed bewildered and inflicted with troubling memories of the past three years. The events that occurred and overwhelmed him haunted his subconscious time after time. Removing his black pajama pants and boxers, Naruto rubbed the lower portion of his abs where the power of the Kyuubi was sealed and resides within him. His eyes narrowed as his mind was once again consumed with painful thoughts of the past …

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><p><em>A year after the Fourth Shinobi World War, a gruesome fight between Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto broke out on the outskirts of Konoha. After regaining the power of the Sharingan from the eyes that he had implanted into him from the body of his dead brother, Sasuke once again continued his pursuit in getting revenge on Konoha for plotting against the Uchiha clan by deceiving his older brother Uchiha Itachi into murdering his entire clan. Naruto effortlessly tired to convince Sasuke to not go through with his plans destroying the village in hopes of reconciling his pain. The result of the fight landed both shinobi unconscious and severely injuried. Both Sasuke and Naruto laid motionless and weakened in the Konoha hospital as Lady Hokage and her team of medical-nin professionals worked through the night to recover both of the young teens.<em>

"_Tsunade-sama, Naruto-kun seems to be stablizing," Shizune stated as she and another medical-nin helped in assisting Naruto's healing. Though the power of the Kyuubi was more than enough to heal his wounds, at the state in which Naruto's injuries were, its' miraculous healing abilities were being slowed._

_Tsunade and her young pink-haired pupil Sakura pushed their efforts into using the Mystical Palm Jutsu in order to heal the rogue ninja's, Uchiha Sasuke, wounds. Sakura used all of her might to hold back the tears that were burning her green eyes. Tsunade looked upon the girl in front of her as she focused her charka in helping Sasuke to regain consciousness._

"_Sakura ..."_

"_Please, Shishou …," Sakura gritted her teeth as she forced all of her medical jutsu in helping to save Sasuke, "Please save Sasuke-kun ..." tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she did not allow them to fall. Sakura's blurred vision graced Sasuke's pained face. Blood trickled from his closed eyes and ran down his cheeks and chin like red tears possibly due to the over-use of Amaterasu. He sustained a dislocated right shoulder and arm, the palms of his hands were burnt, and his legs seemed to been broken in various places. This was the worst state Sakura had ever seen Sasuke in, and she had witnessed the entire scene. She turned her gaze over at Naruto's motionless body behind her, and at that moment feeling a tight cringe in her heart for not being able to stop them from their brutal fight …_

_'Naruto, forgive me … If only I could have been stronger, I could have been able to stop you both from fighting,' she turned her blurred gaze back down at Sasuke feeling helpless and weak, 'Why am I so weak? Why couldn't I help you … save you from this … Sasuke-kun ...'_

"_Hokage-sama, Sasuke's vital signs are becoming worse," one of the medical-nins exclaimed as he watched Sasuke's heart rate become erratic. _

"_His breathing is slowing," Tsunade focused her charka over Sasuke's head to analysis his senses. She gasped in shock at that moment. Something was not right … _

_Sakura took notice of this, gazing worriedly at her Master, "Shishou, what's wrong? What's wrong with Sasuke-kun?" She exclaimed, her voice becoming more chocked up with fear._

_Tsunade turned towards one of the medical-nin next to her in frustration, "You, get me Yamanaka Inoichi and inform the Intelligence Division."_

"_Yes, ma'am!"_

_Sakura looked around frantically as two of the medical-nin rushed out of the treatment room in a panic to retrieve Yamanaka Inoichi, "Wait! What is going on?" She turned to Tsunade's attention, "Please, Shishou, what did you see? What is wrong with Sasuke-kun?"_

_Tsunade looked upon her young pupil upset, "He's losing absolute consciousness. Sasuke is slipping into a coma, and it's rapid."_

_At that moment, Sakura's heart began to halt, her breath caught and pained her chest as she withdrew from the healing jutsu in a shock. Unbeknownst to the people in the room, Naruto began to slowly regain some consciousness, trying to overhear the panic commotion within the room. His head turned to his right, looking at his friend's blooded face and unconscious expression. Naruto tightened his fists and grit his teeth, thinking to himself that this all could have been avoided …_

_'It didn't have to come to this … I didn't want to fight you, Sasuke … Not … like this.'_

_Soon after, Yamanaka Inoichi arrived and rushed over to Sasuke's side._

"_Yamanaka, can you sense anything within Sasuke's consciousness?" Tsunade asked firmly as Inoichi placed his hand over the Uchiha's head, focusing his charka and utilizing his ability to seek Sasuke's conscious mind. Sakura's heart began to beat rapidly in a panic, fearing the worst._

"_His mind ..." Inoichi began to speak, "It is unclear."_

_Sakura shook her head in disbelief, "What? What does that mean?" She held her hands against her chest trying to suppress her fast beating heart._

"_We need to run some extensive test on Sasuke's subconscious," Inoichi directed his attention towards Tsunade, "Hokage-sama, at this rate, at the level of his consciousness, Sasuke will slip into a coma, and … it will be prolonged."_

"_But Sasuke has not suffered any direct injury to his head, has he?" Shizune spoke._

_Tsunade closed her eyes in frustration, "It would seem that Uchiha Madara did somehow manipulate Sasuke's subconscious at a rate that even I, myself, cannot understand, nonetheless treat."_

"_We cannot be completely sure until we at the Intelligence Division run some tests," Inoichi stated._

"_Then … then …," Sakura's tears began to fall from her eyes as she looked upon her Master in pain, "what does this all mean for Sasuke-kun?"_

_Tsunade looked at her pupil and then down at the unconscious Uchiha …_

"_It means that … if and when Sasuke awakens, his mind will not. In other words, all of his memories, thoughts, and past will be no more. He will have lost all that is known to him," Sakura gasped as her body trembled, "I'm sorry, Sakura … Sasuke will not-"_

"_No!" Sakura fell to her knees in angst as she leaned over and clutched onto Sasuke's motionless body, "No! Please … Sasuke-kun … Sasuke-kun, please wake up! Wake up, Sasuke-kun!"_

_Naruto's pained blue eyes sprung into tears as he was suddenly beginning to comprehend the fate of this old friend._

"_Sa-suke … you …"_

"_Naruto-kun!" Shizune rushed back to Naruto's bedside as he too lost consciousness from his injuries once again. Sakura's cries to Sasuke was all that could be heard within the room as she clung onto his motionless body, sobbing uncontrollably …_

"_Sasuke-kun, please! Wake up! SASUKE-KUN!"_

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><p>Naruto's fist hit the shower wall in front of him as he stood in the shower letting the hot water trickled down his blonde hair and back. The steam of the hot shower filled the bathroom and fogged the mirror. Naruto's thoughts wandered, tracing them back to that night two years ago when he fought his closet friend …<p>

'Sasuke … '

The wetness of his blonde hair pressed against his cheeks and shadowed his eyes as his head was lowered, staring down at the drain. The whirlpool of water created as it encircled the drain mesmerized the blue-eyed teen as his painful thoughts consumed him. It was all just too much for him to bare. Knowing that he was the one that put his closet friend in the hospital ate at him everyday of his life. Two years had passed and Uchiha Sasuke was still in a coma, showing no signs of awakening anytime soon. This fact alone partially hindered his friendship with Sakura. Seeing her pained face weeks after the event hurt him. He felt that he had betrayed Sakura by nearly killing the man that she loved the most. Holding that burden within his heart made him feel like the worst person in the world. Though the days seemed to get better between them, Naruto still held that grief of not only hurting Sasuke but Sakura as well. And although she never blamed him for what had happened that night, Naruto still felt responsible for letting it all come to this …

'Sakura-chan …'

After awhile to himself, Naruto turned off the shower and stepped out. He grabbed the white towel hanging on the wall by the shower, dried his blonde locks and then wrapped it around his waist, securing it. Walking over to his sink once more, he wiped the steam away from the mirror to look at his reflection once again. He sighed to himself, no longer wanting to feel depressed. He then walked out of his bathroom and over to his closet to retrieve a fresh pair of white boxers and his usual orange track pants. Flinging the damp white towel onto the floor, Naruto strolled over to his fridge and peered into his seemingly empty fridge. All that he had was a half carton of milk, some old take-out ramen and chopsticks he left in there. Naruto grabbed the small carton of milk and drank the rest of its' contents. He then sluggishly sat himself in a chair at his dinner table, running his fingers through his slightly damp blonde hair.

"Ugh … I feel like the worst-"

Suddenly, a loud knock was heard at Naruto's door. He sighed to himself, lazily bringing his body to answer the annoying knocking, "Awww, come one. It's still early …," Naruto exclaimed as he reached his door.

Upon opening it, he was caught by surprise seeing his silver-haired sensei at his door.

"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?" He questioned.

Kakashi looked at Naruto with a dispirited and worried gaze, "Naruto, you have to come with me."

Naruto was caught off-guard by his sensei's request, "What? What's the matter, Kakashi-sensei?"

"It's Sasuke, Naruto … he is awake."

Naruto dropped his empty carton of milk as his eyes gleamed in shook from this sudden news …

"S-Sasuke ..."

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><p><em><strong>Author's Note<strong>_: I hope you enjoy the chapter so far. Just a little glimsped about what events had occurred over the past three years. Just for you interest, if you may have any, some of these chapters will have song that will in a way narrate the flow of the chapter. However, some chapters will have a new Arc beginning that illustrates the some of the chapters that are within that Arc. I guess you can say I have based this story partially on the current Naruto: Shippuden openings from 3-9 *lol* I felt that the music really helped me to fill in the holes of my story that I want to relay to all of you so I hope you all have enjoyed it thus far. Please shot me reviews, I would love to know your thoughts about it so far :) Arigatou!


	3. Chapter 2

_**JenaMiyu**_

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><p><em>"Close enough to start a war …<em>

_All that I have is on the floor …_

_ God only knows what we're fighting for …_

_All that I say, you always say more …_

_ I can't keep up with your Turning Tables …_

_Under your thumb, I can't breathe ..."_

**_Adele - "Turning Tables"_**

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><p><em><strong>"God Only Knows What I'm Fighting For"<strong>_

The white daffodils turned their heads up to the morning sun, as if seeking its warming rays. The flowers were set in a small, clear vase against the window sill of the third hospital room on the third floor of the building. The clock on the wall read 9:00am. The general atmosphere of the Konoha Hospital was rather peaceful and calm with only a few resident patients in attendance … one of which included a young man with spiky black hair named Uchiha Sasuke. It seemed like clockwork that a certain pink-haired kunoichi would come and check-in at the reception desk and make her way to the hospital bedroom that Sasuke resided in. The young woman was dressed in a red sleeveless top that was partially zipped up with a white tank top underneath, black mid-thigh length shorts, a short grey apron skirt, and knee-length boots. She wore her pink hair in the same fashion as her shishou, with the front strands of her hair at shoulder-length framing her facial features while the rear strands of her hair were parted into two individual pigtails that reached the middle of her back. She carried with her a small brown basket with two daffodils that she had just bought from the Yamanaka Flowers shop a few blocks down the street from the hospital.

Sliding the door of Sasuke's room open, Haruno Sakura entered his room closing the door behind her. She graciously walked the right side of his bedside approaching the table that had the two flowers in them from the previous couple of days. From the brown basket, Sakura unwrapped the white daffodils from the clear plastic wrap that held the two flowers together and clipped the tips of the flower stems with a pair of scissors.

"I brought you fresh flowers, Sasuke-kun," Sakura uttered to the unconscious young man that laid next to her, "I hope you like them," she smiled to herself as she exchanged the old flowers with the new ones, quickly disposing of the old ones in the trashcan next to the bed. Sakura then turned her green eyes down towards Sasuke's fair complexion. She felt a small cringe creep up into her chest as she tried to suppress the frown she felt with a small smile. Turning her attention to the blue sky above her, she pushed back the white curtains a little, opening the window slightly to let in some fresh air. She instantly felt the cool breeze of the morning wind wash against her cheeks, filling her senses and making a flush …

"It's a beautiful day today, Sasuke-kun. So peaceful …," Sakura smiled warmly as she pushed back some of her hair behind her ear. Feeling consumed by the gentle breeze and gleaming sun, She sat herself on the window sill looking out at her village. To her right she could see the main street filled with people going in and out of the small shops and restaurants. The main street led to the Hokage's office which was built in front of a mountain with craved images of the five Hokages that protected this land for many generations. To her left was a valley terrain with small communities of villagers that resided in Konoha. This was her home. Her precious leaf. The everyday livelihood of her people had once again restored itself, and she was more than grateful of this fact …

'If only …'

Sakura turned her soft green gaze over to Sasuke's gentle face. For the pass two years, Sakura would come and watch over the Uchiha in hopes of giving some comfort to him. For two long hopeless years, she waited and she prayed for her dear friend to awaken from his slumber. For two long years … she held the pain of watching Sasuke lay in this bed day after day after day. Even though Sakura was facilitated to watch over and care for Sasuke, to her it was more than just watching his vital signs and heart rate. No … it was much more personal to her. Sakura wanted to give him love and comfort in hopes that her own efforts would someday pull him out of the coma …

'Sasuke-kun …'

In a sense, it was also giving her that comfort and hope just by watching over him. She prayed for him, read to him, spoke to him …. I so desperately wished that all of her efforts would not be left in vain. By doing this, the pain of seeing the man that she loved laying before her grew less and less dreadful.

Sakura stood from her seat on the window sill and walked over to the other side of Sasuke's bed, taking another seat much closer to him in a chair. Her body arched, leaning over slightly to look deeply onto his fair-skinned face. The scars on his face were now less visible than what they used to be. She personally treated his exterior wounds as well as healed and reformed the structure of his broken leg bones and dislocated shoulder. She alone cleared his forehead of his long spiky black hair from his face and wiped the cold sweat from his brow when fever caught him. She remained at his bedside as much as she could, even in-between missions. Sakura could not stand not being beside him, let alone wanting to miss him if he would have ever awakened ...

'But when … will you, Sasuke-kun?'

Sakura stretched out her right hand to caress Sasuke's left cheek as her left hand touched his hand, slightly grasping it into her own. His body was still, yet warm like he was just simply sleeping. Her eyes narrowed as her fingertips lingered over his cheeks down to his chin, tracing his strong features. She once again felt that tight cringe of her aching heart for him. How deeply she missed his charming smile, his smooth voice and deep onyx eyes that she so desperately fell in love with when they were younger. The deep love she felt for Sasuke was unconditional. She would give anything and everything just to hear his voice again. The memories of the past consumed her almost instantly …

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><p><em>Uzumaki Naruto sat up in his hospital bed. His arms, hangs, as well as his head was bandaged due to the injuries he had acquired during his brutal fight with his closet friend, Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto had fully recovered from his injuries after two weeks of being unconscious from the severe wounds inflicted upon him. Lady Hokage stood in front of Sasuke's bed as he laid motionless. Yamanaka Inoichi and Morino Ibiki stood to the right of her as they spoke amongst themselves. Sasuke's overall state of mind was beginning to suffer a few days after the incident. In addition to his wounds, his state of mind was inadvertently suppressing his subconscious, and to this affect, caused him to slip into a prolonged coma. For the pass two weeks, Ibiki and Inoichi supervised the mental tests at the Konoha Intelligence Division in order to gather information as well as figure out what was the primary cause for Sasuke to slip into the coma. However, to much regret and despair, the testing proved to be despondent. <em>

_Sakura sat in a chair next to Sasuke's motionless body, clutching onto his left hand. Her downward gaze fixated on the Uchiha's subtle features. Hatake Kakashi, as well as Shizune, stood in front of the hospital room door. They all conjugated within this room, discussing the conditions of Sasuke. Something was not right …_

"_Morino," Tsunade spoke firmly, turning her attention to Ibiki, "What can we conclude from the results?"_

_Ibiki presumably handed Tsunade papers indicating Sasuke's charts of detailed analysis of his brain waves and response systems, "From looks of things according to the report, Sasuke's subconscious seems to be incoherent."_

"_Incoherent?" Kakashi uttered, questionably, "What does that mean?"_

"_Yes," Ibiki responded, "Something within Sasuke's mind as been manipulated and blocked away from his conscious mind. So much to this effect that it has hindered him from regaining consciousness at all."_

"_Ibiki is right," Inoichi exclaimed, nodding in response, "However, in addition to this, when we took him to the Intelligence Division to run the tests, I peered deeper into his subconscious … it's almost unexplainable really." he lowered his gaze at Sasuke._

_Sakura's green eyes glimmered in fear as she turned her gaze upwards looking at her master, "What is? What has happened to Sasuke-kun?" Her voice a bit cracked as she became desperate to hold back the tears welling within her eyes._

"_In other words," Tsunade paused for a brief moment to accurately prepare her next words, "Someone has implanted a block within Sasuke's mind. Something is suppressing his subconscious memories and secret from himself. In other words, keeping him from knowing his own thoughts. At the very least, we can be assured that is effect must be caused by Uchiha Madara. Furthermore, whether it be about the whereabouts of Madara's hiding or anything of that sort, we, ourselves, have no way of infiltrating Sasuke's mind and finding out."_

"_With this much blockage of Sasuke's subconscious state from his conscious awareness, there is no telling if he will ever remember anything about anyone, let alone himself," Inoichi added._

_Naruto's narrowed his eyes stared down at his bandaged hands, grazing his empty palms as his eyes glazed over with defeat. He then gripped them into fists as his expressionless face and narrowed eyes glared at them._

"_Hokage-sama, if Sasuke should ever wake up again, he will have no recollection of anything. It would be even more doubtful if he would even remember his own name." Ibiki stated, confirming this to Tsunade._

_Tsunade gritted her teeth, becoming more and more flustered by these sudden turn of events. Nevertheless, the possibility of the situation becoming worse was inevitable ... _

"_Tsunade-sama," Shizune spoke, regrettably, "the Elders ..."_

_Tsunade closed her eyes in frustration and cursed to herself in slight anger, "Yes, it would seem that they have their hands in this now too."_

_Sakura looked up at her master with confusion, "What do you mean, Shishou? What will the Elders do to Sasuke-kun?"_

_Tsunade turned and walked over to the window to look out at the construction of the buildings in the far distance of the village. She sighed as she placed her hands on her hips and spoke firmly, "If he should wake up from his coma, the Elders will prosecute Uchiha Sasuke to the fullest extent of the law for crimes against the village. In other words, he will be declared a criminal of war."_

_Sakura's heart sank lower than ever before. Her eyes trembled as her master's words repeated over and over in her mind, "No … no t-they … they can't-"_

"_It was only a matter of time, Sakura!" Tsunade's voice grew louder as she gave her young pupil a forceful look, "Uchiha Sasuke has long before been labeled as a rogue ninja. In addition for him being in cahoots with the Akatsuki, and not to mention with the murder of Shimura Danzo, he plotted and acted on taking out Konoha for good!" Sakura gasped as her own voice became and her breathing shallow. Tsunade had to be firm with her in order for Sakura to realize the full extent of Sasuke's own hands in his doing, "I'm sorry, Sakura. Although I am Hokage, the ruling over Sasuke's fate is overthrown when there is two against one. There is only so much I can do."_

_She gripped Sasuke's hand tighter in her own as if someone was pulling him away from her at that instant. Everything surrounding them seemed to disappear in the blackness of sorrow and angst._

"_Damn it!" Naruto's fist balled up as he gripped the his sheets on both sides of him and gritted his teeth, "They … they can't do that! When he wakes up, Sasuke won't even be able to remember anything … I … he ..." Naruto started to curse himself, gripping the necklace that he now wore around his neck with his left hand as he continued to grip the sheets._

_'Naruto …' Kakashi gazed upon the blonde-haired teen in sorrow, 'Up to this point, it has been nothing less of bad news one after the another.' he then turned his narrowed gaze over to Sakura's trembling body, 'if Sasuke ever wakes up, what will you do, Sakura?'_

_Tsunade closed her eyes facing the window as Inoichi and Ibiki watched the blonde teen shadow his eyes from the rest of them as he continued to curse …_

"_Damn it! Why … why couldn't save him? I didn't want to fight Sasuke. I didn't want it like this … not like this-"_

"_Naruto." Sakura broke Naruto away from his words as she leaned down further and touched the side of Sasuke face, "No one is blaming you for this … not even me."_

_Naruto turned his face up to look at Sakura as hot tears began to well up in his eyes … _

_'Sakura-chan ...'_

"_I was weak as well, Naruto. I couldn't stop you … I couldn't him from what was inevitable. I wasn't strong enough. At this very moment, I still feel weak. But we can't continue to linger on about it. We have to finally face the fact that … that we can no longer help Sasuke-kun. Not like this … not anymore …"_

_Sakura's words filled the room like a piercing blade of hopelessness as they all fell silent. Defeat had finally washed over them all. Nothing more could be done for the Uchiha. All they could do was wait ..._

_Naruto eased his grip on his bedsheets as silent tears slipped from his eyes and trailed down his face. His deep blue eyes became shadowed once again from the people in the room. Tsunade turned to Sakura as she crossed her arms underneath her huge bust._

"_Nevertheless … Sakura. I am placing you in charge of facilitating Sasuke's condition. If anything, even if he shows the slightest twitch, you are to report straight to me and only me, understood?"_

_Sakura hung her head low as her hair shadowed her sorrowful face, "Y-yes, shishou..." she replied, dispiritedly._

_Tsunade immediately left the room with Shizune in toe as Inoichi and Ibiki followed after as well closing the door behind them. The only remaining people in the room were the old Team 7, all of which hung their heads in sadness and defeat over the fate of their comrade ..._

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><p>Soft tears suddenly escaped from the eyes of the pink-haired kunoichi. She so desperately clutched onto the Uchiha's hand with both of her own as she stared down at his face. Sakura felt total and utter emptiness. The torment of seeing the man that she loved in his presence state ate at her heart and soul. It consumed her more than it did when Sasuke first left the village to seek out Orochimaru to plot his revenge against his brother, Uchiha Itachi. No … this pain … this everlasting angst that consumed her was much different than before. She had always longed to take his hand into hers, to caress his cheek, to gaze upon his subtle face; it was her dream to be close to Sasuke, … but she did not ever wanted to her hopes and dreams to come true like this …<p>

'I never wanted it to be like this, Sasuke-kun …'

Her lips began to tremble as her silent tears turned into soft sobs. She wanted to do more for him; so much more. She wanted to hold him close to her so he could feel her heart pounding in her chest; so he could feel the warmth of her body. Then, perhaps maybe … maybe this would bring him back to her. If he could hear her cries, if he could hear her sorrowful voice, if he could just see her heart and know … finally know how much she really loved him, … if he could only just open his eyes again and look at her one last time, maybe … just maybe he could know everything she had ever wanted to say to him; all the feelings that she balled up inside of her …

'Just look at me, Sasuke-kun …. open your eyes!'

How did she ever come to love him? A man that was once a boy who did not care to even give her a passing glance. A boy that she became infatuated with. How could she ever still love him? A boy that grew up into a man … a man that turned his back against everyone he has ever known, even to her. How dare she still be in love with him? In love with a man that almost destroyed her friends, her family, and her home. How could she be in love with him still?

'I have to know why … just open your eyes, Sasuke-kun. Please! … Please!'

Sakura threw herself onto Sasuke's body, hugging his upper body close to her own as her hands held his tighter and her tears landed on his face …

"Sasuke-kun … please … open your eyes! Wake up! … Please, wake up! … Sasuke-kun ..."

It was at that moment that Sasuke's left hand began to twitch slightly. Sakura gasped in utter shock as she withdrew from holding him and stared down at his face. Sasuke's breathing started to become more smooth and rhythmic as his face and lips trembled while making an audible grunt. Sakura stared at him motionless, her breath caught in her throat not fully able to comprehend what was happening before her. Suddenly, Sasuke's onyx eyes began to slowly come into view as they immediately met Sakura's glassy green eyes. His vision was weak, but slowly matured into clarity as he gazed upon the pink-haired woman that was drawn closer to his face.

"S-S-Sa-suke-kun..?"

Sasuke gazed up at the woman as his lips parted slightly, trying to speak …

"... Y-you ..."

The door to the hospital room then opened as Yamanaka Ino entered to check on Sasuke, "Sakura, hey, how is- ..." Ino's voice halted as she saw the now conscious Uchiha awake and trying to sit up in his bed, "Oh... Oh my goodness, S-Sasuke-kun is awake … Sasuke-kun is awake!" Ino ran out of the room at that moment to notify someone immediately.

Sakura was still in awe, clutching onto Sasuke's hand as he positioned himself up in the bed. The black-haired Uchiha looked upon the woman in slight confusion and wonder as she stared up at him.

"S-Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke withdrew his hand a little from her grasp in a bit of confusion …

"I'm … I'm sorry, but … do I know you?"


	4. Chapter 3

_**JenaMiyu**_

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><p><em><strong>Author's Note:<strong> _My apologies for taking a while to update my story. I tend to have a bit of a writer's block and I really wanted to make this chapter a bit longer than the previous chapters (which was successful, YAY! LOL!) So here it is (finally!). The ending is a bit rushed, and I apologize again for that, I just desperately wanted to get this chapter out of the way. So I hope you all enjoy it and PLEASE review me and let me know your thoughts :) Arigatou!

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><p><em><strong>"The Cruelty of Fate"<strong>_

The Hyuuga prefecture was located on the eastern main street towards the west side of the Hokage Monument. This area of Konoha was serene and peaceful. The quiet and peaceful living of the Hyuuga clan were praised highly for their way of life and zen nature that reflected not only their passion for meditation, but who they were as a people. The entrance of the Hyuuga prefecture was surrounded by a 12-foot thick cobblestone wall that encased the home of the Hyuuga clan. At the very rear of the prefecture was the Hyuuga shinto shrine, the home to the Hyuuga head-family. The three-story shrine overlooked the clan community. The rear of the shrine was protected also by a 12-foot thick cobblestone wall. It was, of course, defended by two guards located on the outer side of the wall. Two other shrines, much like the main Hyuuga shrine, stood on both sides of the head-family home; however, they were of a smaller stature than the main shrine. Residential homes of the Hyuuga people surrounded the buildings. The main entrance of the shinto shrine was guarded by two guards as well that stood in front the red shinto gate that allowed entrance into the shrine. The guards that surrounded the entirety of the Hyuuga head-family shrine were members of the branch-family, all of whom bared the mark of the cursed seal on their foreheads which branded them as the protectors of the head-family.

Upon entering the main Hyuuga shrine, you are welcomed to the main hall which parts into two separate directions. To the right would lead you to various rooms that head-family members resided in. At the end of that hall is the entry way of the kitchen and dining area. To the left of the main entrance of the shrine would lead you to various corridors of big and small meeting areas that are held at the shrine as well as the rooms of the head of the clan, the daughters, and some distinct members that sought over the clan. At the end of this hall was the prayer room where various family members gather to pray in the mornings and afternoons, as well as to meditate. However, going forward from the main entrance of the shrine will lead you to a sacred hall that held many valuable and ancient treasures belonging to the Hyuuga clan. At the very end of this hall, the sliding doors led you to the outdoor courtyard that was at the center of the shrine. This particular area was rectangular in shape and was a very spacious area that was about a half an acre wide with a shallow pond in the middle of it all. This vast area was surrounded by the rooms and corridors of the main house. To the left was a lush garden with trees flourished with lilac and Lavender flowers aplenty. This particular space was under the adoring care of the elder daughter of the head of the Hyuuga family, Hyuuga Hinata.

The nineteen year old woman was dressed in her casual attire. Her lavender colored top was adorned with a zipper that went in a diagonal fashion across her bust-line. The top was short-sleeved with a "V" neck plunge that revealed the black mesh amour that hide her busty cleavage. The mesh amour was also extended out to the nip of her wrists like a long-sleeve top that fitted around her arms. The lower portion of the lavender top was fitted around her slim stomach with the black mesh amour revealing itself underneath her top. Her tight-fitting black shorts grew past her knees. A pale-lavender apron skirt was tied in a huge bow behind her waist. The length of the skirt had long splits on both sides and was the same length of her shorts. This was now her usual attire as a kunoichi with the exception of her same low-heeled sandals and her Konoha forehead protector she still wore around her neck. Her dark blue hime-styled hair was long and full. The ends of her hair were tied together with a thin purple ribbon; the length of her hair reaching down to the end of her back. Long strands of her hair framed her fair-skinned features and illuminating pupiless white eyes that held a soft hint of lavender.

Hinata Hyuuga sat in a seiza-style position in the field as she gingerly gathered the long-stemmed Lavender flowers, being very meticulous about the hue of the violet petals. She gathered them in a small brown basket that sat next to her. She used these flowers for her pressed flowers craft in which she would make various decoupage art as well as Oshibana art, the artistry of creating new images with the use of pressed flowers and leaves. Her talents were often praised by the clan as well as a few villagers of Konoha that knew of her talented craft. Many of her original works were displayed in the halls of the main shrine. However, her talents remained unappreciated by one man. A man she forever wished would notice her not only by her artistic talents, but by her true abilities as a Jonin kunoichi ... and as a respected daughter noble of being greater than what he saw her as ...

'Otou-sama ...'

Hinata looked upon her father, Hyuuga Hiashi, at the opposite end of the half-acre courtyard on the other side of the quiet pond. This particular area was used as a small training ground exclusively for the head-family and their assigned branch-family protectors only. Her father was currently training Hinata's thirteen year old sibling, Hyuuga Hanabi. She was training for her upcoming Chuunin exams that were to be held in about two months from now. Hiashi always took a very special interest into training Hanabi, often honing her skills in the art of the Gentle Fist and the kekkei genkai of the Byakugan. Hinata sighed silently to herself. It has always been this way ever since the two female siblings were young, sparring against each other in their father's small dojo. Hiashi always seemed to favor Hanabi over Hinata, often praising about Hanabi to the elder members of the clan about how much she has inherited his taijutsu and ninjutsu abilities, something Hinata was often criticized and scorned about. Nevertheless, Hinata was never the one to be jealous of her younger sister, nor was she envious. The feelings that Hinata held were much deeper and even more despairing. Aspects of her life were kept in secrecy within the Hyuuga clan that over time has changed Hinata and her view about the clan as well ...

As a young girl, she felt her place in the Hyuuga clan was miniscule compared to that of her younger sister and even towards her cousin, Hyuuga Neji, despite Hinata being the elder sister of the head family and thus next in line to inherit the throne of the Hyuuga clan. She grew up feeling worthless and weak, feeling small despite her position within the family. As time went on she grew up; she changed herself, not only emotionally but physically in regards to finding her own strengths and reaching a special power that only she was capable of doing. This special power she inherited from her mother before her life was claimed by illness. Hinata kept this strength to herself, hoping that one day her father would acknowledge her once again.

Hinata watched as her father and younger sister sparred with each other. She had laid out lunch and tea for them that still to this moment has sat on a table next to the main stairs, left untouched. Hinata frowned slightly to herself, despairing that their lunch had grown cold. She began to stand from her spot on the ground amongst the Lavender. As she reached down to pick up her small basket filled with flowers, she noticed a tall man in ANBU attire walk through the sliding doors of the main back entrance to the shrine coming to the stairs of the courtyard ...

'Neji-nii-san ...'

Hyuuga Neji had been away from the village on a mission with his other fellow ANBU members including Yamato and Sai. It has been about three weeks since she last saw him.

Hiashi took note of Neji's sudden arrival, "Hanabi, let us take a break from your training," he directed to his daughter as she nodded in response, walking over to the table to eat her lunch. Neji approached his uncle at the bottom of the stairs, bowing in respect, "So, you have finally returned, Neji."

"Yes, Hyuuga-sama," Neji responded in respect, "Not much was uncovered of his whereabouts, so Hokage-sama has ruled out any trace of his presence in near Iwagakure."

"I see. Well done then."

Neji stood upright to look upon his uncle. It was at that moment he noticed his cousin Hinata walking up some stairs that led to a small corridor within the shrine, softly sliding the doors behind her.

'Hinata-sama ...'

"Neji," he turned his attention towards Hiashi as he sat across from Hanabi at the table as he spoke, "Now that you have returned, you are to resume your place as Hinata's watcher." He spoke firmly as he looked at Neji.

Neji nodded firmly in response, "Yes, Hyuuga-sama."

"With that said, I want to escort Hinata to the woman's dojo for her etiquette training. I want her properly dressed and prepared for Kishimo's arrival."

Neji subconsciously shallowed his grit and dismal of that name and complied to Hiashi's request, "Yes, Hyuuga-sama." Neji walked up the short stairs to the shrine's main hall, disappearing behind the sliding doors. Hiashi turned his white gaze towards the sliding doors that led to the back entrance of Hinata's room. Hanabi looked up at her father with a worried expression that was present on her face. Hiashi sensed his daughter's gaze upon him and turned back to his meal.

"Do not concern yourself with your sister's affairs, Hanabi. You will not be put through this," Hanabi frowned slightly thinking about her sister, "It is for the good of this clan that Hinata fulfills what she must do, and I will have no objections to it. Understood?"

Hiashi spoke firmly to Hanabi as her eyes were now downcast, staring at her Jasmine tea as it became still in her cup. Her own worries were not just only of her older sister's well-being, but also of her father's. It was clear to not only the siblings but also to the rest of the head-family that there was a sudden change in Hiashi over the years, but she could never object to her father's orders ... no one could.

"Yes, otou-sama ..."

Neji stood in the main hall of the shrine on the other side on the sliding doors, overhearing Hiashi's conversation with Hanabi. For nearly three years, Neji has known about the ultimate plan for the Hyuuga clan through his uncle's meetings with the elders of the clan. It was to always be kept a dire secret from anyone outside of the clan. However, Neji did not want to willingly accept this plan if it was going to harm her. He balled his fists tight at his sides as his white eyes narrowed with disdain of his uncle's demanding control over Hinata's life. For many years, Neji fought internally with himself over the cruelty of how fate had once restrained him to be a protector of the head-family, and how as a member of the branch-family he could never be anything greater than what he was now. But Neji has long before disregarded those perceptions of himself. He now held concerns of his cousin, Hinata, and how her sacrifice for the clan would damage not only her gentle spirit, but her strength as a kunoichi as well. Neji's growing concerns were becoming more evident as the years passed, and with so little time left to do anything about it. But what could he do? Going against the commands of the head-family were forbidden and proved to be fatal for any branch-family member who became outspoken against them. The secret myths of the Hyuuga clan were becoming more and more of a reality to Neji ... and there was so little time left to do anything about it ...

Neji walked down the main hall turning into another hall that led to the rooms of the head-family. He approached Hinata's room, silently stopping in front of her door, softly knocking as he called out to her.

"Hinata-sama, we must leave soon. Are you decent?"

Neji stood in front of her door waiting momentarily for her reply, but she did not respond. He knocked once more calling out to her a bit firmly so that she may hear him, yet still she did not reply.

"Hinata-sama ..."

Neji slowly slid the door open slightly as he peeked into her room. His eyes immediately met the young woman seated on the floor as she arranged dried-pressed Lavender petals and leaves on a white canvas that laid in front of her on the floor. Her room was filled with the scents of rich Lavender and the aroma of freshly cut autumn leaves. The decor on the walls were filled with beautiful Oshibana art with picturesque scenes of nature, birds and skies.

Hinata was unaware of her cousin's presence as he excused himself and entered her room. Her white, pale-lavender gaze was fixated on her artwork as she hummed a sweet song to herself. Hinata's gaze was soft, yet held sorrow deep within them. Much of her manner and personality had grown, a lot of which had to do with the dramatic changes of her clan and her life as a whole. Deep down inside she felt trapped and insecure, like a caged bird wanting to ever so much fly far away from this place ... and from her state of mind. Her heart cringed at the thrill of freeing herself from the pain she could never share with anyone else ... not even to ...

'Naruto-kun ...'

Her body halted and grew still as her heart beated faster in her chest at the thought of Uzumaki Naruto's name. She smiled softly to herself as she closed her eyes bringing one hand over her chest as if clutching onto something. Hinata began to remember her resolve for her ever-growing love for the blonde-haired shinobi. Neji drew closer to the young woman calling out to her, but his voice was unheard ...

"Hinata-sama ... Hinata-sama ..."

* * *

><p><em>"Hinata!"<em>

_On the main street of the Hyuuga prefecture, Hinata was walking with some of the children in her clan when she suddenly heard the voices of her old teammates calling out to her as they ran towards her._

_"Hinata!"_

_"K-Kiba-kun, S-Shino-kun, what's the matter? What's wrong?" Hinata questioned in a bit of worry as Kiba and Shino ran up to her in panic._

_"Hinata, there's been a fight!" Kiba alerted her as Akamaru barked in compliance._

_Hinata's eyes glimmered in slight fear, "What? Is there another attack-?"_

_"It's Naruto." Shino spoke suddenly, capturing Hinata's worried gaze onto him, "he and Sasuke fought outside of the village. They're at the hospital."_

_Her breath captured in her throat as Hinata's body began to tremble in shock Shino's sudden news to her. The children looked up at the trembling woman with the sight of worry that trouble may be ahead. One of them gently tugged onto Hinata's jacket attempting to grasp her attention._

_"Hime-sama, what's wrong? Is something going to happen?" one of the small children spoke as the others let out a scared gasp._

_Hinata attempted to control her heart beat as she spoke, "Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, let's hurry to the hospital!" Hinata looked down at the worried faces of the small children, and smiled softly to them, "Do not worry everyone, everything is going to be alright. I am sorry I cannot play with you today, but I must go see a dear friend." With that said, Hinata raced to the hospital with Shino, Kiba and Akamaru behind her._

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><p><em>"Excuse me! Wait, you guys cannot go back there!"<em>

_Hinata and her teammates burst through the doors of the Konoha Hospital entrance, running passed the reception desk and hurrying to the top floor, anxiously wanting to reach Naruto. Coming up to the third floor, the hallway was flooded with medical-nins running in and out of Treatment Room #3._

_'Naruto-kun!'_

_Hinata rushed passed the hoards of people to make her way through the double doors of the room. Upon entering, she caught sight of a bloody blonde-haired shinobi laying motionless on the operating bed. Her white eyes quickly sprung forth burning tears as she trembled seeing her dear friend lain unconscious before her._

_"No! Naruto-kun!"_

_Tsunade as well as Hatake Kakashi, Shizune, Sakura, and a number of medical-nin were present in Treatment Room #3. Tsunade was working along side Sakura and a few others as they attempted to treat Sasuke's wounds as he laid next to Naruto in a separate bed. Shizune and Kakashi stood by Naruto on the opposite side of them as Shizune was attempting to clean the deep wounds that Naruto sustained from the brutal fight. Shizune turned her gaze up to Hinata, taking note of her presence._

_"Hinata-chan?" Hinata rushed to Naruto's side, her face expressing pure awe and shock, "Hinata-chan, you cannot be here-"_

_"What happened? Naruto-kun! Why is he like this?" Hinata's burning tears ran down her face with furry. Kakashi walked over to Hinata's side attempting to draw her away from Naruto's body so that the medical-nin could do their best to revive him._

_"Hinata, do not panic," Kakashi spoke calmly to the frightened Hyuuga, "Everything will be alright. Sasuke is...-"_

_Kakashi's voice seemed to fade from her ears as she caught a glimpse of Uchiha Sasuke in the opposite bed just before the medical-nins pulled over the curtain to begin treating him._

_'S-Sasuke-san ...'_

_Sakura was in too much of a shock. Hinata noticed the blood that covered her face and clothing. Her green eyes held pain and sorrow with a mix of tears that stained her cheeks. Kakashi calmly pulled Hinata to the door away from all the chaos in front of her. He stood in front of her, taking her by the shoulders and looking down at her to get her attention._

_"Hinata, everything is going to be alright," Kakashi tired his best to soothe her worries as he spoke gently, "Let Hokage-sama and the others handle the situation."_

_Hinata, although still in a state of fright, nodded gently in agreement as he led her outside the treatment room._

* * *

><p><em>'We need to run some extensive test on Sasuke's subconscious … at this rate, at the level of his consciousness, Sasuke will slip into a coma, and … it will be prolonged.'<em>

_Hinata could overhear the conversations of everyone in the treatment room as she and her teammates waited anxiously outside. She stood against the wall next to the door of the room, her bangs shadowing her white, pale-lavender eyes, her hands brought up to her chest, clasping her fingers together making her knuckles turn white. Shino and Kiba along with Akamaru stood on the opposite side of her against the wall, silently waiting for any updates on Sasuke's and Naruto's conditions. The hours that they spent at the hospital had passed so slowly. Soon all of their dear friends – Shikamaru, Ino, Neji, Tenten, & Rock Lee just to name a few - had gathered, joining Hinata, Kiba and Shino outside of the treatment room anxiously waiting along with them. The overall atmosphere of the hospital grew deathly silent as time dragged on, and the aura of the shinobi that waiting for news of their unconscious friends in the treatment room was sorrowful and bleak._

_Hinata listened carefully to the conversations within the room as she faintly began to hear Sakura's soft cries …_

_'No! Please … Sasuke-kun … Sasuke-kun, please wake up! Wake up, Sasuke-kun!'_

_Sakura's cries soon became audible to everyone within and outside the treatment room. Hinata's heart began to cringe once hearing Shizune call out to Naruto as he began to lose consciousness. Her mind swirled with grief and despair, feeling helpless and weak for not being there for Naruto before the event that occurred outside of the village. Her heart paced faster and faster in her chest as she collapsed to her knees onto the tiled floor. The others gasped as they witnessed Hinata being overcome with shock._

_"Hinata!" Kiba and Shino rushed to her side as Hinata began to cry out, tears burning her eyes and staining her cheeks …_

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><p><em>The days ahead seemed to be prolonged more and more as time went by. Naruto and Sasuke have been in a coma for about a week now, and there seemed to be ever-growing concerns about their conditions. Things seemed to be bleak and hopeless. Hinata often visited and stayed by Naruto's bedside, bringing fresh Lavender from her garden daily and praying often in the prayer room at the Hyuuga shrine. She sat in the prayer room amongst the idol of Buddha and lit candles and offerings that were given unto him. Her eyes narrowed down at her hands that were in her lap, her mind was blank and still. She had gone on for many days not sleeping and eating less. Her sorrow and worry for Naruto consumed her to the point that she rarely set foot out of her room only to just visit him in the hospital. And if the plaguing agony of knowing of Naruto unconscious was enough, she was suffering as well with her own life. It was not too long before this sudden event between Naruto and Sasuke that the secrets of the clan were beginning to reveal itself. The demands of her clan were soon to come full circle with the appearance, and it all rested with what she had to do for their sake. There was so much she would eventually have to give up: her life as a kunoichi, her will and freedom, and more importantly to her … she would have to give up her love for the man she longed to be with …<em>

_'Naruto-kun …'_

_Underneath Hinata's jacket was a pendant with a crystal inside that she wore around her neck given to her by her mother the day before she passed away. This special crystal has been passed down for many generations on her mother's side of the family specifically to the first born daughters of the family. Its secrets and power that it holds is unknown to anyone else outside of the clan; it is even especially unknown to the majority of the members of her own clan. Those who were able to possess this crystal pendant were born with the gift of a special power that the mother of that female child could sense in their first born daughter. Hinata possessed this power at birth and it was not until a few months before her mother's death that she was able to awaken this power that was locked inside of her. The entire crystal was represented as two separate gems that were pieced together by a shrine miko way back in ancient times. One half of the crystal was a faint blue color which was called "Aoi no Kou" or "the blue light," while the other was a faint violet color which was called "Sumire no Kou" or "the violet light." Only those who possessed the power to separate the gems from each other could use its power to do multiple things: to protect, to defend, and even to destruct. Its power was solely based the the wielders full heart and will, and those that were pure of heart were able to harness it. However, the ultimate catch to this power was that it can only be used for the protection of another, not for themselves. This power was to solely have its wielder be aware of their loved ones presence, and to be able to sense their danger and to combat that danger with protection from the wielder. For Hinata, her ultimate will that was inside her heart was to protect the man that she loved the most._

_Hinata removed the necklace from her neck, taking the crystal out of the pendant and held it between her hands. With her own will, Hinata split the crystal into two separate gems. The reaction of the separation of the gems caused them both to glow a soft purple hue in her hands. The Aoi no Kou that was of a blue color represented her heart and will, and the Sumire no Kou that was a violet color represented her love and life. It was said by her mother to her that if it came a time where she would used the crystal, she would wear the Aoi no Kou and the one she wanted to protect would wear the Sumire no Kou so that her love would always stay with them. Hinata then bit her right thumb allowing blood to appear and rubbed her blood onto the Sumire no Kou. Clasping the two gems in her hand, she whispered a soft chant and then a prayer with Naruto's name in her heart. The Sumire no Kou gem then turned from violet to clear at that moment, signifying that the power of the gem was activated. The Sumire no Kou gem was then kept in a clear pendent making it a necklace. Hinata wore the Aoi no Kou around her neck and clutched onto the gem as she stood and walked out of the prayer room, heading to the hospital._

* * *

><p><em>A pink-haired kunoichi could be seen on the third-floor of the hospital window as she filled a clear vase with fresh water from the sink. She gingerly arranged freshly trimmed daffodils next to Uchiha Sasuke's bedside. Hinata then appeared at the door as she quietly let herself in. Sakura met the blue-haired teen's soft gaze and greeted her with a soft smile.<em>

_"Good morning, Hinata."_

_Hinata nodded softly as she returned her smile, "Y-yes, good morning, Sakura-san." Hinata immediately turned her gaze over to Naruto's unconscious form. She felt a slight tug in her chest at the sight of him. She could not bring herself to become accustomed to seeing him this way. Sakura noticed the slight despair present on Hinata's face._

_"No worries, Hinata," Hinata looked over at Sakura as she smiled at her sweetly, "Shishou says that Naruto should be able to make a full recovery soon the moment he awakens again," Sakura did her best to soothe Hinata's worries with her comforting words. Hinata deeply appreciated her dear words and nodded in compliance._

_"I-I'm so glad to hear that, Sakura-san. Thank you," Hinata then looked down at Sasuke, noticing that his breathing was rather shallow and faint, "A-and, what about Sasuke-san?"_

_Sakura could barely hide her sorrowful expression from her friend as she turned to look down at him. Hinata took note of this and immediately felt bad for upsetting her so suddenly._

_"S-Sakura-..."_

_"Sasuke-kun … he will be alright. I believe … No, I know he will recover very soon," Sakura spoke softly as she walked over to Sasuke's bedside, disappearing behind the curtain as she took her seat by his side. Hinata slowly approached Naruto's bedside looking upon his face. The scars and wounds he sustained from his fight with Sasuke were evident on his face, arms and bare chest. Hinata sat in a chair next to Naruto, her gaze never leaving his face as she unconsciously slipped her hand into his._

_'Naruto-kun …'_

_It pained her to see him like this, and she no longer wanted him to suffer. There was so much she wanted to say that she could not express simply in words alone. It took everything she could deep inside of her to not let out the tears that were starting to burns her eyes. If only he could see and understand how much he truly meant to her … and for him to truly understand that she could no longer count on him to protect her … but she wanted nothing more than to be able to protect him the best way she knew that she could. Hinata would never again allow Naruto to worry about her, and that the secrets of her clan must not ever concern him, for even she could do nothing about it. Hinata had no other choice but to give in to her fate. This was Hinata's resolve …_

_Hinata sadly gazed upon the man she had come to not only respect and appreciate, … but a man she loved more than anything else in this world. She leaned forward, still holding his hand in her own as she whispered sweetly to him …_

_"N-Naruto-kun, I wish so much that I could have been there for you … to protect you … like you have always done for me. I have watched you all of my life, walking forward, never allowing anyone to keep you down. You have always tried your best in everything that you have done … for the village … for your friends … even for me. And now … I want to do the same for you, Naruto-kun ..."_

_Hinata then withdrew the clear pendent from her sleeve, clasping it in her hands, "I may not always be by your side, but with this, I know I can protect you with all my heart and love that I have for you," She then tied the necklace around Naruto's neck, closing her eyes as she whispered a soft prayer to him. When she reopened her eyes, her gaze glimmered as she slowly neared his face …_

_'Naruto-kun, I give you my heart and love so that I may protect you when I am not there … so that I may run to you even when I know I can't. With this necklace, I give you all of my hope and faith, something you can always depend on …' As Hinata spoke those words with her heart, a soft pale-violet light glimmered from the gem around Naruto's neck as if sensing her presence and power of protection for the young man. Hinata sweetly caressed Naruto's cheek with the back of her hand as she drew even closer to his face …_

_'Naruto-kun … I love you.'_

_Her lips gently pressed against his, softly kissing him. All of her love and faith she left with him in that kiss so that he would always be protected as long as she was alive. Hinata parted from his lips as the glow of the pendent faded away. She slowly stood from her seat next to him. Tears now stained her fair-skinned cheeks as her eyes were shadowed by her bangs. Hinata quietly exited from the room unbeknownst to Sakura that still remained. It was not too long after that the blonde-haired shinobi began to slowly regain consciousness. Shortly before he awakened, he felt a warm presence that was now fading from him. With a chocked voice, his lips parted, seeking the person who's name lingered on his lips …_

_"H-Hinata …"_

* * *

><p>"Hinata-sama!"<p>

Neji took hold of Hinata's shoulders and shook her gently as he knelt down beside her, trying to get her attention. Hinata's head snapped up with wide eyes as Neji brought her out of her thoughts.

"Hinata-sama, are you alright?" Neji asked a bit worried.

"H-Huh?" Hinata shook her head a bit, bringing her left hand to her head, softly rubbing her temples, "Y-yeah, I'm alright. Sorry, I must have daydreamed a little..." Hinata frowned slightly as she stared down at the Oshibana artwork that she was working on. Neji looked upon his cousin sternly as he released his hands from her shoulders.

"Hinata-sama, Hyuuga-sama has requested that I escort you to the woman's dojo for your training. Kishimo-sama will be returning to the village later on today-"

"Yes, I understand, Nii-san," Hinata interjected.

Neji took note of Hinata's eyes that suddenly held emptiness and grief. He could no longer sense her sweet spirit, and as time passed, her lively gaze seemed to fade away. However, none of these things that he saw in Hinata caught him by surprise anymore. As Hinata's watcher, for three years Neji has seen a once gentle spirit transform into a frail and sad soul. He had often wondered what had happened to that once fighting soul that ever-so desperately wanted to prove herself to anyone and everyone around her. Why and when did she allow herself to succumb to her own fate and not continue with her own destiny … the answer was clear. She simply couldn't …

Hinata slowly stood from her seat on the floor, turning towards her bedroom door, "Let's go, Nii-san.."

Neji nodded firmly as he as well stood and escorted Hinata out of her room to the shrine entrance.

Hinata trailed slightly behind Neji as he led her down the main street of the Hyuuga prefecture heading towards the woman's dojo. Hinata's gaze stayed fixated on the stone path in front of her, her eyes holding a blank expression as her many thoughts swirled around in her head. She shook her head softly, trying to bring herself out of her mind. Neji took note of this and pondered.

"Something troubling you, Hinata-sama?"

"N-no, not at all, Nii-san. I'm alright," she tried her best to smile up at him, for she did not want him to worry, "Oh, I'm sorry, Nii-san," Hinata stated genuinely, "I am happy to see that you have returned from your mission safely. Tell me, was there any success in discovering _him_?"

They continued to walk together as Neji spoke with her, "As a member of ANBU, you should know that I cannot fully disclose that information to you, Hinata-sama."

She frowned slightly, "Yes, of course, my apologies."

"There is no need to apologize," Neji turned his eyes, noticing her worried expression, "Although … all I can say is that there seems to be no clear trace of Uchiha Madara's whereabouts."

Hinata looked up at him, "None at all? That can't be ..."

"Even so," Neji continued, "that still does not mean that he has completely vanished. I am sure that whatever Uchiha Madara is planning in the shadows, it will be much greater than the devastation of war."

Hinata placed a hand over her chest, gently clenching onto the Aoi no Kou necklace underneath her top that she still wore to this day. Neji knew that ever since the secrets of the Hyuuga clan began to reveal themselves three years ago, Hinata was no longer allowed to take part in missions with her fellow shinobi by order of her father, Hiashi. Much to his surprise, Neji had doubt that Hiashi would even allow Hinata to take part in the Jonin exams a year ago, though this was only so that the Hokage would not have any suspicion over Hinata nor towards the clan overall. Due to the fact that Hinata was no longer going on missions regularly, she was often left out of the loop about the situations concerning the on-going search for Uchiha Madara's location, and often Neji felt inclined to give her at least some insight …

"But you should not worry yourself about it, Hinata-sama," Hinata looked upon her cousin as he spoke, "things here now are calm and peaceful again."

"Yes, they are." Hinata smiled softly as she nodded in agreement.

"Hime-sama!"

Suddenly, a young girl was seen running up to Hinata with a big, toothless smile that graced her sweet face.

"Good afternoon, Hime-sama!"

Hinata knelt down to the girl so she could be eye level with her, "Good afternoon, Chizune-chan."

The little girl blushed sweetly as she held out her hand, revealing her gift to Hinata, "Hime-sama, I made this for you." It was a small array of flowers that were sowed together to create a necklace.

Hinata smiled sweetly at the little girl's gift as she lowered her head to allow the girl to place the flower necklace around her neck.

"It is beautiful! Arigatou, Chizune-chan."

The little girl blushed even more as she shyly ran away, giggling with glee, "Bye, Hime-sama!"

Hinata stood up and watched as the little girl skipped away happily. Neji turned to Hinata, urging her to continue on their path, "Let us hurry, Hinata-sama."

"Yes-"

A sudden breeze brushed against her cheeks as Hinata's white, pale-lavender eyes grew in slight shook. She could feel the light of the Aoi no Kou that she wore around her neck send a wave of trembles through her body. Her senses turned her gaze towards the main gate that led outside of the Hyuuga prefecture. She could sense the heart of the Sumire no Kou that was not too far from her. She instantly knew what it meant …

'Naruto-kun …'

As on instinct, Hinata pivoted to her left, running towards the main gate. Neji, a bit confused, ran after Hinata, not knowing what had her in a panic all of a sudden.

"Hinata-sama, wait. Where are you going?"

Hinata quickly reached the outside of the main gate, but then was suddenly stopped in her tracks as a flash of yellow suddenly jumped in front of her and then quickly ran passed her down the road. Hinata quickly noted that it was Naruto that just sprinted pass her as she watched him quickly fade from sight.

"N-Naruto-kun!"

"Hinata-sama," Neji then caught up with her at the entrance, "What is it?"

It was then that Hatake Kakashi appeared in front of the two the moment he noticed them outside the gate.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata was a bit taken seeing Kakashi suddenly appear.

"Hinata, Neji-"

"Kakashi-sensei, I saw Naruto-kun just now. Is something wrong? Where is he going?" Hinata exclaimed with growing worry.

"Naruto is on his way to the hospital, … it's Sasuke. He has awakened from his coma," both Hinata and Neji gasped in disbelief upon Kakashi's words.

"You can't be serious. He's regained consciousness already?" Neji questioned, trying to grasp the whole situation.

"It would seem that Sasuke has regained consciousness earlier than our previous expectations," Kakashi stated, "Upon hearing the news, I came to tell Naruto and he did not waste a moment longer to rush to go see him."

Hinata clasped her hands into fists at her sides, her eyes narrowed down the road ahead, "Then we must go as well."

Neji turned to Hinata in disagreement, "Hinata-sama, I cannot allow that. You have your own duties that you must attend-"

"I don't care!" Hinata's stern retort came as a bit of a shock to both Kakashi and Neji, "I'm going whether you follow me or not, Nii-san." Hinata then started sprinting down the road, following after Naruto.

'Shit!' Neji cursed under his breath as he followed Hinata and Kakashi to Konoha Hospital.

In the distance, Hinata could see Naruto's figure as he sprinted down the road ahead of her …

'Naruto-kun …'

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Note: <strong>_The longest chapter so far *lol* And I love it, and I hope you all do too! Please review! I need the motivation to continue this story, and trust me, it gets better! ;) Arigatou!


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